Black Ox Bistro, Opening Soon in Scarborough

Excitement goes to another level when we’re waiting for a unique restaurant like Black Ox Bistro to open. Located off of Markham Rd, just north of Sheppard Ave, right off of the 401 in Scarborough, Black Ox Bistro joins the community to offer the GTA a unique take on halal dining.

We were able to get a phone call with owner Hamed Ali who was kind enough to give us a rundown of what we can expect when they open their doors for business January 15, 2015.

Without giving too many details away, we’re told that the style of restaurant will be New American. The current established steakhouses in our community can be defined as Classic American. New American is basically modern enhancements on American classics with international inspiration and gourmet touches.

Service and ambiance will be given special attention as Black Ox Bistro promises to deliver what gets missed at many halal restaurants today.

Featured on the menu? Exciting modern American steak, chicken and pasta dishes, prepared by a team of senior Chefs coming from some of the leading restaurants in Toronto. “The most elaborate team of chefs to date by any halal restaurant,” explains Ali.

This all sounds fantastic, but what really resonates is attention to ingredients and meat sources. Black Ox Bistro is proud to serve only ethically raised hand slaughtered meat. Their AAA Canadian beef is 28 day aged, fed Ontario sweet corn and since the beef is local they are able to keep it fresh, never exposing it to freezing before cooking. The beef is sourced from well known and reputable St Helen’s Farm. Their hand slaughtered, HMA certified chicken is grain fed and comes from Sargent Farm.

Ali explains it’s also important for him that the restaurant itself if fully certified, so they are working on receiving HMA certification by February. It’s great to know that new restaurants like Black Ox Bistro keep meat source high on their priority list and pledge transparency with their customers.

While they officially open up for business mid January, we strongly recommend visiting their website or calling for reservations. You can follow their Facebook page for more updates.

Worst place ever! My friends and went yesterday (march 21.2014) . We were a group of 5. Thr food took 50mins. Food was very dry and salty. Very small portions for a 40 dollar meal. The manager kept apologizing for the delay and offered us free dessert. The dessert took another half hr. We wasted about an hr n a half. Never ever going back there!

Black Ox Bistro really impressed during my first visit to the restaurant last week. The food was delicious and the arrangement was good as well. I ordered lemon zest cheeseca and juice sunrise. I left happy, will surely return.

With its impressive range of food items, Black Ox Bistro has definitely attracted people’s attention within a quick span of time. I am impressed by its swift service, high food quality that it offers at amazingly cheap prices. It is definitely a great place to hang out with friends and family and enjoy great food.

It was a lovely experience! Yes the food takes a while to come, but that’s probably because everything is being prepared fresh, you can tell! It isn’t going to take 10 minutes like other places where the dishes are pre made and reheated! They cook everything from scratch when you order! And it honestly tastes like it! We loved the food, we ordered the Chicken Alfredo and it was one of the tastiest pasta dishes I’ve had! We also ordered the ribs which were melt in your mouth! The staff was very, very nice and accommodating. The waiter came and asked us if everything was okay, and to our liking often. Yes, it is pricey, but it’s an experience that fits the bill, the ambiance, upscale setting and service and the food. Well worth it!

Alhamdulillah. Food was good, ambiance was good. No major complaints. It did take some time but everything is made fresh so didn’t mind waiting. I did however find the flat bread a bit dry. Maybe some more sauce or something would’ve helped it out. All in all I will be going again and wish them all the best.

BOB — two thumbs up!!!. I decided to check this place out and judging by all the positive reviews and the strong Facebook following and the packed dining halls I can tell I was right in ignoring some of the fake negative reviews here.

Let me start off by saying that I was very excited about this place opening since the winter. I really think our community is ready for a place of this caliber. Everything is done at a much higher level and its about time

I arrived around 7:30 on Friday night with my family, I was greeted by a warm hostess who showed me to my seat with no wait time. I scanned the room which had amazing decor, modern lighting and spectacular seating and tables. I couldn’t believe this was a Muslim place.

All the guests looked so happy and were clearly enjoying their food so I couldn’t wait to get started. The waitress attended to us immediately and was super polite, always smiling and was able to answer all of my questions.

I ordered some specialty craft sodas ($3) and the wings to start. These were BY FAR the BEST wings I have ever had. The Brazilian sauce was awesome ($12) typical price for wings.

The much anticipated steak is what I was waiting for. I ordered the filet mignon and I had it medium rare – the best way to have it. Lots of hype in the community about this being the best halal steak in Toronto? Well it lived up to the hype folks. It was just AMAZING! It came just the way I like it and I was blown away. I paid $3 extra for the premium mushroom sauce and I was very happy I did. Best halal steak in Toronto indeed.

I was very happy with how fast everything came out and all the prices are the same as you would find at a Milestones or Moxies.

I also inquired and all the meat is hand slaughtered from HMA sources which for me at least is super important.

Finally our community has a place to be extremely proud of – I know where I am going for all my special events from now on.

My sisters and I went to Black Ox last Friday. We decided to visit after seeing some good reviews on their Facebook page. And we were not disappointed! We actually ordered filet mignon, some salad, and their lemon cheese cake. It was awesome! My two sisters are self acclaimed foodies and they had a fantastic time. We’ve made reservations for next week to come for a 27th night event.

This place is a bit far from my place. But I heard a lot buzz about this restaurant so I went there with some friends. Its worth the drive man! love the king ribs and brisket poutine! hope they can put up a branch in missassauga soon!!!

This is a great place to eat. The restaurant itself is very smart and the staff very friendly. The food is fantastic and reasonably priced. The steak was out of this world and melts in your mouth. We enjoyed it so much we went back the following night.

Alhumdulillah, Nice decor and cleanliness was tops. Food was great!! service was excellent Haris the Waiter was extremely nice and helpful really looked after us a group of 20!!!!!!! def will be going again!!! Insha Allah

This is a well ranked steakhouse across many sources and totally lives up to the praise. The environment is incredibly cozy and tastefully done. The service is very friendly, And the food is exceptional. I ordered the new york striploin and replaced the fries with their signature baked volcano potato. It was so good. The meat was perfectly done and the garnishes on the potato were mouth watering. I ended with a spa salad that ignited my taste buds. It is a must visit place.

Celebrating my birthday and this restaurant was highly recommended by many people. When we arrived 10 minutes late for our reservation due to the traffic, we were expecting a long wait since there was many people waiting. They seated us in only 10 minutes and then moved us twice to give us better table/location each time. They really went out of their way to make our visit and occasion a special one. This type of caring just isn’t common anymore. I really must thank the ladies that made this happen as it made our whole visit! The service and presentation was first class and food was delicious. We had the surf and turf and I must I have never seen better presentation. We finished off with their famous crème brulèe.

This restaurant was recommended by a friend who travels frequently. I was not disappointed. I had a filet mignon and grilled garlic butter jumbo strips. This is the only halal restaurant that doesn’t freeze their steaks – so the meat quality and juiciness is insane. It was excellently prepared and quite delicious… The setting was great as well with both indoor and outdoor seating. Next time I visit, I will try the classic beef short ribs.

We had an excellent anniversary dinner here this past weekend. The waiter was extremely accommodating–informative but gave us room to consider the menu, made some great suggestions. My wife had a new york striploin, which was amazing–our waiter gave a recommendation on how to have it cooked and was spot on. To be honest I normally used to have well done but he politely asked me to try the medium and I must say that I am converted for life. My 8 oz filet mignon was perfect, as was the sautéed mushroom with fresh herb butter and hand cut fries. We had the black ox brisket poutine as an appetizer, which were quite delicious. I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a special night out at an amazing steakhouse.

The atmosphere was great, good service as well. We went for lunch got seats no waiting. the waiter was excellent, he gave us space to talk and eat and did not bother us throughout the meal. That’s a plus for me. The food came on time and in order, there was time space between appetizer and entree. I recommend this place for the steaks. Best in town!

I was dieting but figured I should actually order what the restaurant was known for, so I ordered a steak. It was seasoned to perfection, cooked just the right temperature. The beef lasagna was amazing. To top it all off, I accidentally left my wallet on the table. I returned several hours later to find it unharmed, sealed in a bag and locked up with security. I am very appreciative of the helpful staff who assisted me in reclaiming it.

We visited Black Ox for a late dinner seating, following an awesome day in the city. We were seated immediately, and drinks were served nearly immediately. We were shown the Black Ox’s meat offerings, and soon after we were dining on our steaks. My wife ordered the Rib Eye and I had the filet mignon. Our steaks were cooked perfectly. Flavorful, tender, juicy, and delicious. We had lobster tail with lemon herb butter as our side. The food was delicious. The portions are gargantuan and are best shared.

This is definitely up there with the best steak I’ve ever eaten. The waiters have immense knowledge are well trained and super friendly. This is the best place to go as far as I’m concerned, it gets pretty busy in there as you’d expect for such a fab steak so you need to book! Don’t miss out it’s a must!!!